Slot closure



V. C. KLOEPPER. coMBmEn `SUPPORT AND GUARD. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1920.

y Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

Patented cpt. Al2, 122.

ALFRED M. LANE, 0F ST. LOUXS, MISSOURI, ASSIG'NOR T0 MONARCH METAL PRODUCTS CGMPANBI, 0F ST. LOUIS, VMISSOJ'RIII, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURT.

SLOT CLOSURE.

Application lgd January 13, 1921. Serial No. 437,052.

To all whom 'it'may concern.'

Be it known that l, ALFRED M. LANE, a 'citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful lm'- provement in Slot Closures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means ing elongated openings and particularly to means for closing slots like those used in the floor of an automobile to accommodate the operating levers.

The present invention has for its princi- 'pal objects to provide a cheap, simple, and eflicient device for preventing cold air and dust from entering an automobile through the slots for the operating levers and which will not interfere with the operation of said levers, to provide for the installation of such device without removing the-levers or Fig. 2 is a plan view of the closure as it'v appears when the hand lever is in its forward position;

Fig. 3 isfa vertical cross section on the 'line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the movablecover plate bein shown in the position -it assumes when the and lever is in neutral position; f l

Fig. 5 is a .side elevation of the closure, the floor being shown in section and the position of the 'cover plate corresponding to the position shown Ain Fig. 4; Y

Fig. 6 is a vertical taken through the closure on the line 6-6 inFig.1;,and y -v Fig. 7 is a plan view of the two sections of the movable cover' plate. Fig. 8 is a plan view. of the rear end of for coverlongitudinal section" ln said drawing, my invention isv shown in connection with a control lever 8 of an automobile of well known make. rllhe lower end of the control lever 8 is iixed to a horizontal shaft 9, and extends upwardly through an elongated slot 1() formed in the floor 11. Said lever is adapted to be moved in a horizontal direction andis in its rearmost position when the car is at restand is in its forward position when the car is in' motion.

The lever 8 is held in the desired position by means of apawl 12, which is pivotally secured to the lever 8 below the viloor 11 and engages a curved ratchet bar 13. The pawl is disengaged :from the ratchet by means of a hand lever 14, which is pivotallyv secured to the upper end portion of the lever 8 and is connected to said pawl by means of a pull rod 15.

rlhe closure shown in the accompanying drawing comprises. two interlocking members A and B. The member A is formed of a plate or strip of sheet metal having elongated slot 16 formed therein of a size and shape corresponding to the sizey and shape of the slot 10 in the floor 11. The member A is slipped .over the' upper end of the operating lever 8 and is secured to the upper surface of the floor, with its slot 16 in register with the slot 10 of said floor, by means o' screws 17.

Along each of the longitudinal side edges of the slot 16 the metal of the member A has an upwardly and outwardly extendin hook or flange 18, that is, the metal is doubled over upon litself parallel with the body portion of said member A, but is spaced far enough thereabove to accommodate the l downwardly and inwardly hooked 'or doubled under flanges 19 of the longitudinal side marginal portions of the cap lmember B, thus, the doubled over vflanges 18 of the stationary member 'or base the cap B isbetween E,the ledges of the slotl andthe lever and pull rod. The slot 20 is located adjaand in the event that it is desired to remove the radiator' from encasement within the guard 2 after the bolts l9 and cap 2Q of the radiator have been removed, the radiator can be lowered therefrom; the guard being left in its normal position and providing a support from the motor hood 21.

From the aforesaid description of this improved radiator guard and support, and since the radiator is eliminated from tortional strains of the vehicle frame, cooling radiators of this character can be provided of a simpler construction than heretofore in which the heretofore reinforcement thereof can be eliminated.

What I claim is:

l. The combination of a vehicle radiator and a guard therefor, said guard being ar ranged forwardly of said radiator and being provided with a plurality of integrally formed forwardly projecting portions drawing means for securing said radiator to said guard, and a horizontally extending bush ing carried by said radiator for the reception of said drawing means, f

2. The combination of a vehicle radiator and a guard member therefor, said memf ber being arranged .forwardly of said radiator and providing means for encasing said radiator and securing means cooperable with said radiator and said guard `for demountably securing said radiator to said guard, comprised of a bushing carried by said radiator for the reception of a bolt carried by Said guard;

3. In combination, a vehicle radiator provided With an opening for the reception of a horizontally extending securing meniber, a guard arranged forwardly thereof, a frame, and amotor hood, said guard adapted Ato support the forward part of said hood,

a member extended from said guard into the opening of saidv radiator and secured therein and flexible means provided for securing said guard to said frame.

4. The combination ,of a radiator and a guard therefor, said radiator being provided with a plurality of horizontally extending openings, said guard having an opening formed in its upper portion lfor the reception` of the fillingV n eclr of the radiator, and there being bolts carried by said guard each adapted to be engaged andy secured in a respective opening. of said. radiator for supporting said radiator rearwardly from said guard.

5. The combination of a radiator, a guard for said` radiator, and a frame foi` supporting said guard, said guard being comprised ofl a single supporting member which is arranged forwardly of said radiator and secured to said frame, and rearwardly extending means borne by Said guard adapted to be inserted from the frontof said guard for securing said radiator thereto.

` V. C. KLOEPPER.

p the side margin of the slot in said base plate and the side'marginal edge portions of'said cover plate being rebent substantially parallel with the body portion of said plates and slidably interlocked, said base plate having an upstanding flange adapted to close the space between said plates at one 'end thereof and said cover plate having a depending ange adapted to close the space between said plates at their opposite ends.

4. The combination with an automobile having a slot and a lever operating therein,

of a base plate secured to said body and having a slot adapted to register with the slot for said lever, and a cover plat'e for said slot, -said cover plate being adapted to em. brace said lever so as tomove therewith the metal along the side margins'of the slot in said base plate being flanged upwardly and outwardly and the side marginal portions of said cover plate being flanged down-- wardly and inwardly, the downwardly and inwardly Hanged margins of said cover plate being adapted to cooperate with the upwardly and outwardly Hanged portions of 'said base plate, whereby saidcover plate is slidably interlocked with said base plate.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 11th day of January, 1921.

ALFRED M.A LANE; 

